There is no sport equal to that which aviators enjoy while being carried through the air on great white wings.
The exhilaration of flying is too keen, the pleasure too great, for it to be neglected as a sport.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

BasicMed

Sport Pilot rules do not require the pilot to carry a 3rd Class Medical. Medical certificates, or "medicals" for short, are required for anyone other than a sport pilot who is acting as pilot in command. Usually the medical certificate and student pilot certificate are combined on one form, FAA Form 8420-2, and are issued by a doctor, called an aviation medical examiner (AME), who has been approved by the FAA to administer the medical exam. Some pilots looked at the sport pilot rule as an option to return to flying after some medical condition had sidelined them from using the local Aviation Medical Examiner. However sometimes overlooked was the additional requirement that the PIC: "Not know or have reason to know of any medical condition that would make that person unable to operate a light-sport aircraft in a safe manner." The "Driver's License Rule" is not valid if you know you have something wrong that could inhibit your ability to fly an airplane.

My normal practice has been to get a 2nd class medical every other year to take advantage of potential commercial privileges. After a year my medical would default to 3rd class allowing me to continue to perform the duties of a Certified Flight Instructor. Then I read this:

"John King confirmed to Flying a personal issue that has been rumored for many months: the FAA has denied the well-known aviation educator’s medical certificate, leaving him unable to act as co-captain aboard the Dassault Falcon 10 he and his wife, Martha, fly. John King is, of course, half of the legendary John and Martha King duo who founded the King Schools, known for online and video education courses responsible for thousands of pilots successfully navigating the FAA’s pilot knowledge exams (the couple also write a regular column for Flying).

King was officially denied his third-class medical certificate in November 2015, based on a seizure he’d experienced while on a family trip to Indiana earlier the previous year. He said a trip to the hospital following the seizure episode in early 2014 led doctors, as well as both him and his wife, to believe there was no cause for alarm, so he continued to fly. At his regular aviation medical exam later that year, the FAA cited safety of the public, as well as of the airman himself, for the denial.

Since John was turned down for his medical 18 months ago, the Kings have engaged a number of aeromedical professionals and attorneys, spending tens of thousands of dollars along the way, attempting to convince the FAA that he is healthy enough to warrant reissuing his medical. King told Flying the agency has denied every appeal route they’ve tried."

His career was over. The FAA bureaucracy had dictated that he was medically unfit to fly even though Doctors specializing in his condition said he was good to go. There was a happy ending for John.

"King Schools co-owner John King confirmed to AVweb Thursday the FAA has restored his medical certification without explanation after the well-publicized appeal of his suspension. “Amazingly enough, I have my medical certificate in my pocket,” he said in an email. “I had written an email to the FAA Associate Administrator for Safety urging them to employ the core values that created the compliance philosophy in the medical certification of pilots. That letter along with the publicity that you helped create might have made the difference.” As we reported last week, King was denied his medical because of a seizure he experienced in 2014.

King told AVweb he consulted top neurologists but their assessment that the seizure was an explainable one-time thing was rejected all the way to top by the Federal Air Surgeon. That’s when he wrote his letter to the top floor of the FAA and went public with his concerns. With the restored medical he will be able to share pilot duties with his wife Martha in their Falcon 10 rather than continue to hire a second pilot or buy a new aircraft with single-pilot capability."

Thousands of dollars spend to restore his flight status. Pilots are taught to avoid risk when possible. There is a potential risk using the AME that I no longer wanted to take. Something new was available to me this year: BasicMed.

How do I take advantage of BasicMed? At least every 48 months, visit a state licensed physician where he or she will perform an examination and affirm the absence of any medical condition that could interfere with the safe operation of an aircraft. Every 24 calendar months, take a free, online medical education course. AOPA’s online medical education course will be available to all individuals, free of charge. AOPA recommends taking the following steps, in order:

1. Complete the pilot information and medical history portion of the FAA Medical Examination Checklist prior to your examination;

2. Schedule and attend an examination with a state-licensed physician who will complete the FAA Medical Examination Checklist;

3. Successfully complete the AOPA Medical Self-Assessment Course;

4. Print the certificate of completion following the online course and keep it in your logbook or in an accurate and legible electronic format, along with the completed Medical Examination Checklist;

5. Ensure that you meet the flight review requirements of FAR 61.56 and any other applicable flight or instrument proficiency requirements, as necessary for you to act as pilot in command.

Why is this important to me? I don't have to fear the situation John King experienced. I can go to my own physician, one who already knows my medical history and works with me to cure my ailments, recommends specialists when required, and helps me asses my fitness to fly.

Can I fly under these rules as a CFI? Yes, the FAA final rule for BasicMed does apply to the person acting as PIC, including flight instructors. As an example, the FAA has noted that flight instructors meeting the requirements of the new rule may act as PIC while giving flight training without holding a medical certificate, regardless of whether the person receiving flight training holds a medical certificate